The possibility of a takeover bid was made easier yesterday when DIRECTV agreed to officially merge with Malone's Liberty Entertainment by the end of the year. Liberty has had a controlling  stake in DIRECTV, but the merger reduces Malone's stake in half, which makes an acquisition easier, according to Bloomberg.

DIRECTV also this week announced that it has hired former Pepsi executive Michael White to be its new CEO, a move that could also signal a possible change in ownership.

And DIRECTV has said publicly that it's attempting to reduce operational costs, which could be an effort to make itself more attractive to a prospective buyer.

Swanni's Take:
Get ready for a deal. Malone is clearly pitting one telco against the other in public in an effort to get both of them to sweeten takeover offers. I would be surprised if either Verizon or AT&T doesn't buy DIRECTV in the next six months.

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